Chapter 57

Chase pulled up to the Kennedy family estate, ominous storm clouds gathering overhead, the wind whipping fiercely. The weather had been dreadful lately—a heavy snowstorm followed by what appeared to be an impending downpour. As the front door creaked open, Mom peeked past Chase. A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes when she saw he was alone.

“Hasn’t Amanda come home yet?” she asked.

“Nope,” Chase replied.

“Why did I even bother raising her if she’s just going to pull this runaway stunt every time something small goes wrong?” Mom grumbled, her eyes settling on the mud-covered Chase. “Chase, where on earth have you been?”

“I took a spill, but it’s no big deal. Where’s Nicole?”

At the mention of Nicole, Mom’s face softened. “She knew you were coming and decided to whip up dinner herself.”

Chase swapped his shoes and headed for the kitchen. I arrived just before him. Nicole, sensing our approach, deliberately nicked her hand with a knife. Watching her, I understood why I’d lost this fight. Beyond her manipulative tactics, she possessed a boldness I lacked.

When Chase entered, he saw her fumbling with the wound, blood staining the countertop. His accusations instantly shifted to concern.

“What happened?”

“I’m sorry, Chase. I wanted to make your favorite dish, but I’m so clumsy, I cut my finger.”

“Where’s the first-aid kit?”

“In my room.”

In the dim kitchen light, Chase carefully tended to her wound, seemingly forgetting his earlier purpose. Once he finished bandaging her, Nicole threw herself into his arms.

Chase frowned. “Let go, what if someone sees us?”

“Chase, why have you been so distant lately? Did I do something wrong? Please, just tell me. I can’t stand you ignoring me. I need you.”

Chase’s eyes turned cold as he remembered his reason for being there. “Nicole, how did you fall down the stairs at the café that day?”

Without hesitation, Nicole said, “Chase, it was an accident. Amanda bumped me, but please don’t blame her. It wasn’t on purpose.” Nicole had a talent for manipulating him with her words.

Chase scrutinized her. “Really? You’re not lying?”

Nicole looked up at him with teary eyes. “Chase, when have I ever lied to you?”

“Alright, next question. Did you know about Amanda’s pregnancy?”

Nicole hesitated, clearly weighing her answer.

Chase leaned closer, his gaze icy. “Why did she miscarry? Did you have anything to do with it?”

Nicole feigned shock. “Chase, how could you think that of me? Do you really see me as that heartless? I had no idea she was pregnant!”

Chase remained unconvinced. He grabbed her by the collar, his voice low and tense. “Then explain why, when Amanda was trying to keep the baby, she miscarried and came out covered in blood after you visited! Even if you didn’t know before, you must’ve realized then. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tears streamed down Nicole’s face. “Chase, I found out by chance that she was in the hospital when I was too. You visited me every day but never mentioned her. I didn’t want her to feel left out, so I went to see her and tried to clear up the café incident. But she got really upset, hit me, and started saying awful things about you, talking about revenge. No matter how I tried to calm her down, she just got more worked up, and then she lost the baby.”

Chapter 58